DO YOU OWN A HONDA OR USE HONDA MOTORCYCLE OIL?
HERE'S SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW . .
Even people who know little about motorcycles will often name HONDA as one of the bikes they have seen on the road. Honda
motorbikes are ubiquitous in the United States - and no doubt, many other countries as well. This did not happen by accident.
They make a fine product, have produced it efficiently and marketed with exceptional ability. So what I am about to say is in
no way disparaging of the company or their motorcycles.
In 2000, Motorcycle Consumer News (MCN) performed an evaluation of more than 30 oils widely used in motorcycles. Their intent was to slice through marketing hype and get to the performance facts. The oils they evaluated are listed below:
| Amsoil High Performance | Golden Spectro 4 | Pennzoil Motorcycle Oil |
| Bardahl Synthetic Blend | Spectro | PJ1 Silverfire |
| Belray EXL | Klotz Techniplate | Pro Honda GN4 |
| Belray EXP | Maxima Maxum 4 | Pro Honda HP4 |
| Belray EXS | Mobile 1 MX4T | Redline Hi Performance |
| Castrol Activo | Mobil 1 Tri Synthetic (auto) | Shell Rotella (diesel) |
| Castrol GTX (auto) | Motul 300V Sport | Silkolene PRO4 |
| Castrol Synthetic Blend (auto) | Motul 3100 | Silkolene Racelube |
| Castrol Motorcycle Oil | Motul 5100 | Torco MPZ Motorcycle Oil |
| Elf MOTO 4XT | Motul E Tech100 | Torco MPZ T-4R |
[Note that some of these entries are no longer available or have been replaced with other products. Note too that some companies had multiple products evaluated, while some, like Amsoil, had only one entry. Another oil, Suzuki's Break-in Oil was also evaluated. The MCN summarized their data on this oil by stating that " . . we really can't recommend it for much beyond breaking in a new Suzuki."]
The authors of the study made three specific statements regarding Honda oils:
1) Regarding the ability to neutralize combustion acids "Both Castrol automotive oils faired rather poorly here, as did both of Honda's bike oils."2) Regarding Total Base Number (TBN), an oil's ability to absorb acids, "Note that the Pro Honda oils tested poorly here, as did most of the Castrol oils, reflecting their low levels of anti-oxidant additives. Long distance riders who may need to stretch oil change intervals would be advised to read this chart closely."
3) Regarding overall results, "Both of the Mobil 1 oils and the Amsoil performed well in most of our tests and deserve your consideration. Redline oil also turned in strong results. At the, um, other end of the scale, we were surprised by the low results on the Honda oils."
Here's the point: When a single Amsoil lubricant was compared to two Honda motorcycle oils over actual riding conditions, the Amsoil lubricant consistently proved to be superior by standard lab measurements. Ironically, all testing was conducted in Honda Gold Wing GL 1500 motorcycles.
The difference is this: Honda makes equipment - Amsoil makes oil.
Note: At the time of the test, neither of Honda's "private label" motorcycle oils could compete on equal footing with Amsoil's non-motorcycle product. Today, Amsoil competition is even stiffer, because Amsoil has since engineered and produced 4th. generation synthetic products specifically for use in 2-cycle and 4-stroke motorcycle engines. (See our Product Page for details)
Al Amatuzio, president of Amsoil makes some valid points about "private label" oils in an article he wrote a while ago. It is well worth reading. Our Technical Page also highlights some very interesting facts that are emphasized in the MCN Oil Report. Click here for details.
